Stranded
by Wild Growlithe
Summary: Ash and Misty are stuck alone together on an island.... what will happen?
1. Looks like we're stuck here....

Disclaimer: Trust me, if I owned pokemon, all of the stuff I wrote would've happened by now, and Ash would still have half of his pokemon.

A/N: This is my first shot at a pure romance. There won't be any Brock-bashing, since the jerk won't be in this story at all. It's about Ash and Misty stuck alone together and what happens to them during that time. It isn't as suspenseful as my first story, or as funny as my other two, but I hope it'll be pretty good romance-wise. Well enough talking and on with the intro!

Stranded

Chapter 1: Looks like we're stuck here...

Note: This is one of those "What if" stories. It takes place right after Brock left to stay with Professor Ivy, when Ash and Misty's blimp crashed on an island in the episode "The lost lapras". In the anime, Ash and Misty assumed that the island they crashed on was deserted and wild, but really turned out to be a tourist island of some sort. In this story, the island they landed on really was deserted and wild, and we'll see what (I hope) would've happened to them if they really did have to be stranded alone on an island together. Did that explain some things or did I just confuse you? Either way, on with the story......

Ash and Misty had been walking through the humid jungle-like wilderness of the strange island for hours. Ash had managed to calm Misty down a bit after she had panicked, but she was still a little uneasy at the thought of having to eat bugs and berries on some remote little island for the rest of her life. Ash however, had been a little excited by the thought of being out in the wild for a little. Who knew what kind of pokemon were out there in the jungle waiting for him? The thought of unexpected adventure always excited him. He just wished that Misty would stop freaking out. Being out on their own for a bit wouldn't be so bad...

Misty was starting to feel herself get tired again. She felt guilty asking Ash to let her rest again, and didn't like to let him think that she was weak in any way. After debating with herself, she finally decided to speak up. "Ash!" She called to her traveling companion, who was pretty far ahead of her by now. "I think we should rest for a while again!" Ash turned to her with a slightly annoyed look.

"Again?" He said impatiently. "I just let you sit down a few minutes ago!" Misty herself got a look of annoyance.

"A few minutes? It was more like a half hour ago! And what exactly is the point in all this walking anyway? I know that thinking is hard for you to do Ash, but when you do sit down and think about it, you'll realize that you have no idea as to where you're going or what you're doing! We should at least sit down and think about what to do here!" Ash felt angered by her insult, but realized that she did have a point. Just where was he going, anyway?

"Okay, we'll sit down for a little... _again_." He was still a little annoyed by her behavior. Misty gratefully allowed herself to rest on a rock they had stopped by. She pet Togepi on its front spike, comforting it. She looked over to Ash.

"Any ideas yet?" She asked him. Ash thought for a little. Misty was right, it was hard for him to come up with a good suggestion. After a few minutes, an idea finally came to him.

"Well, I guess the first thing we should do is look for the shore of the island. Maybe we can see if there's any other land nearby or somthin'." He suggested. Misty looked a little surprised when he said this. "What?" He inquired about the look on her face.

"Nothing," She replied. "That was actually a pretty good idea." 

"So? Can't I have good ideas?" He asked angrily.

"Sure you can." She said calmly. "Just not often."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" He demanded.

"That your brain power isn't exactly that of an average person."

"Are you callin' me stupid?"

"Well, duh!"

"Well I may not be the brightest of everyone, but at least I'm not a scrawny little blabbermouth who doesn't know when to control her temper!" That pushed Misty over the edge.

"Why you egotistical little worm! How dare you say things like that to me! If it weren't for me you'd still be stuck crying at the Indigo league right now!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"YEAH?!"

"YEAH!!"

During all of this Pikachu had tried its hardest to calm the two fighting teens down, but its tiny mouse voice was drowned out by their yelling. Frustrated, it decided to resort to its usual tactics, and gave them each a quick thundershock. The jolt was enough to make Ash and Misty stop yelling and realize that they were upsetting their pokemon. The two of them did their best to calm down, and soon they were off in search of a shore. Pikachu and Staryu were in the lead, their trainers both hoping that they would either hear or sense the ocean if they were nearby. While walking, the two trainers decided to talk to one another about the recent argument. "You know Ash, it's been a while since we've gotten that far into an argument." Ash nodded in agreement.

"You're right, usually Brock would've interrupted by now." His face became a little more solemn at the mention of the recently departed rock trainer. "Things just aren't gonna be the same without him, you know? It's only been a little while since he left, but I kinda wish he'd stayed with us." Misty understood Ash's feelings. Brock (the squinty demon) had provided Ash with another male to talk to, someone he could share things with that he would be uncomfortable sharing with her, or that she might not understand. Still, she'd had to deal with that throughout the entire journey. There was almost never another girl around for her to share things with, especially when she desperately needed someone to talk to. This was one of those times. She didn't know what to think of this whole situation. On one hand, she and Ash are stranded on an island that could be in the middle of nowhere, on the other hand, she and Ash are stranded _alone_ on an island that could be in the middle of nowhere. She decided not to think too much about her own feelings at that moment and concentrate on what Ash had just said.

"I know how you feel, Ash." She said in an understanding tone. "Don't worry, we'll see him again someday, I know it. And remember," She smiled at him slightly. "you're not completely alone." Ash smiled back at her. He seemed comforted by that thought.

"You're right, Misty. Thanks." Misty loved it when he smiled at her. She began to think more about her and Ash being alone on an island together, and became more and more glad that Brock had left as she thought about it. _You know, _she thought, _maybe this won't be as bad as I thought....._

Not long after that, Pikachu and Staryu had successfully found the shore of the island. Ash and Misty gazed off in either direction as far as their eyes could see, but they could see no land anywhere in sight. Ash released Squirtle and told him to swim around the perimeter of the island, looking for any signs of land. Squirtle returned after his search and reported that there wasn't any land in sight. It was anyone's guess as to how far out at sea this island was. Ash and Misty decided to go over their options. "Well," Ash started. "We could always swim out with Squirtle and Staryu and see if we run into any land..." Misty shook her head.

"If land is too far away for either of them to reach, they could wind up getting tired in the middle of the ocean. That would leave us stuck out there, either to drown or be gyarados bait." Ash didn't like the thought of either one of those. He tried another suggestion.

"How about if we made a raft for our water pokemon to pull?" Misty again looked disapproving of the idea.

"That's almost as bad as riding out on Squirtle and Staryu. Again, there's a chance of the pokemon getting tired, and us not knowing how far off land could be. There's also a chance of us going in the wrong direction and getting lost at sea. We could even starve to death if we tried that idea. It's just too much of a gamble." Ash gulped. Starving to death was definitely _not _how he wanted to go. "Man, I wish Pidgeot was still here. Then it could've flown us back to some mainland, or at least tried to find some. And using Charizard is no good. It still won't obey me...." Ash sighed and thought of one more idea. "Well, there's always..... smoke signals!" Misty fell over in stupidity.

"Ash! If there's no land nearby, how do you think anyone would even see smoke signals?" She yelled at him angrily.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas, miss know-it-all!" He retorted.

"Hmph. As a matter of fact, I do have one." She pulled out a poke ball from her bag. "Go, Goldeen!" The goldfish pokemon was released into the ocean. "Goldeen!" It cried. 

"What are ya gonna do with Goldeen, Misty? It'd be even harder to ride than Staryu."

"I won't be riding Goldeen at all, Ash." Misty answered. She turned her attention back to her pokemon. "Goldeen, I want you to swim out as far as you can until you find land. Once you do, come back and tell us how far it is, or try to get help somehow. I know you can do it." Ash looked unsure.

"Misty, won't Goldeen get tired too? You yourself said it could be a pretty long swim." Misty shook her head.

"Goldeen spend their entire lives in the water, unlike Squirtle or Staryu. Not to mention that they spend a good part of their lives traveling from the ocean and up rivers to breed. It'll be no problem for Goldeen to eventually find land." She said confidently. Ash gave in and decided to trust her judgment.

"If you say so, Misty. Good luck, Goldeen." Misty kneeled down in front of her pokemon and gave it a hug.

"I know that you'll bring back help, Goldeen. Just promise me that you'll be careful." She spoke to it gently. Goldeen responded with a nod. It lightly rubbed its cheek against hers and then turned and swam off to find help. As she watched her pokemon go, Misty felt tears forming in her eyes. She had great confidence in Goldeen, but would still miss it and worried for its safety. She turned her head away, not wanting Ash to see her tears. Ash noticed the glimmer in her eye caused by the moistness. He knew that she worried for her pokemon and tried to comfort her. Not something he was used to.

"Don't worry about it Misty, Goldeen will be ok. That was a pretty good idea you had." Misty quickly wiped her eyes and turned toward Ash with a smile. It was so nice of him to try and comfort her like that. She didn't exactly know how to respond to it except to say,

"Thanks Ash."

Later on, Ash and Misty went over what they'd have to do if they were going to be staying here for a little. They went over the basic necessities for survival: food, water, and shelter. Ash sent out Squirtle and Bulbasaur in search of any source of fresh water, while he, Misty, Pikachu and Togepi went in search of food. Ash teased Misty by suggesting that it would be easier if they ate bugs, but he was given a good whack by Misty's mallet for his antics. It didn't take them long to find a few fruit bearing trees. The fruit was recognizable to them and wasn't unripe or poisonous. They picked a few and headed back to their spot. Ash thought it would've been smart to camp right by the shore, but Misty knew what would happen when the tide came in. So they decided to make camp near the shore, but not too close. Not long after the two trainers returned from their fruit gathering, Squirtle and Bulbasaur also returned with news of a nearby freshwater spring. Things were going pretty well for the two trainers and their pokemon. Now only one thing was left: shelter.

Taking a break for a little, Misty was busy feeding Togepi some of her remaining poke chow when she saw Ash putting together a little tent made from sticks and palm leaves. "Ash, what are you doing?" She asked, noticing that the little tent probably wouldn't hold up for very long.

"Just makin' a place for us to sleep." He answered, and kept working.

"Us?" She asked.

"Yeah." He gestured toward the nearly finished tent. "There's enough room. It'll save time and energy, and we'll be able to stay warmer at night." Misty looked very uncertain and a little surprised. "What is it?" Ash asked.

"Well, Ash... it's just that..." She sighed. This wasn't going to be easy to explain. "You're a boy, and I'm a girl."

"Yeah, so?" Ash asked, his mind still innocent and unclouded by dirty thoughts.

"Well, boys.... and girls... it's just not right!" She finally concluded.

"Aw, come on Misty, we're friends. It's no big deal."

"I still feel uncomfortable with it, okay?" Misty was half lying. The thought of sharing a tent with Ash did make her uncomfortable, but another half of her was screaming at her to accept. She ignored it. "I think it would be better if I just made my own shelter. Besides, it doesn't look like that thing will hold up very well." Ash got defensive.

"Whaddya mean? My tent's great!" He said with a frown.

"Well," Misty said with a challenging tone in her voice. "I bet I could make one ten times better than that!" Ash knew what that tone in her voice meant, and he was never one to turn down a challenge.

"You're on!" He declared. "I'll make another one that's just as good as yours, and then some!"

"We'll see about that!" And with that, they both started working. Ash called Bulbasaur and Squirtle out to help. The two of them and Pikachu worked together with Ash to build his shelter. Misty was at a slight disadvantage in that area, since the only one who could really help her was Staryu. As she called it out, a second pokemon appeared next to it. Misty sighed in frustration. It was Psyduck. On Ash's side, Bulbasaur was cutting down trees and reeds for walls, and on Misty's side, Staryu was doing the same. Pikachu and Squirtle helped carry vines over to Ash's site, while Ash helped Bulbasaur carry the materials that it had gathered. Psyduck tried helping Misty carry some of the things that she needed to bring back, but dropped most of them on her foot. "Grrr...PSYDUCK, YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY!! GO SIT UNDER THAT TREE AND DON'T BOTHER ME ANYMORE!!" Psyduck did as it was told and sulked under a tree. Misty knew that Ash had more help than she did, so she made herself even more determined to outdo him. Both of them worked furiously for hours, pounding away, building, and tying together, only stopping once in a while to give each other a challenging look in the eye. With both sides using logs and reeds for walls, vines to tie them together, and palm leaves and hay for a roof, soon Ash and Misty's shelters were finished at nearly the same time. Both trainers and their pokemon were out of breath. Misty and Ash both shot triumphant looks at each other. "Ha! Mine's better!" Both shouted at the same time.

"No way!" Ash protested. "My hut has a nice even square shape! Look at yours, it's a dumb old circle."

"Dumb old circle?" Misty said with slight sarcasm. "I'll have you know Ash, that a circle shape is much harder to build than a square! Face it, I've got you beat."

"You do not!"

"I do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Pikachu didn't bother saying anything this time and simply shocked them. Once Misty had recovered, she looked in the direction of Ash's hut and started giggling.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked.

"Um, Ash? Just how do you plan to get inside your hut?" She asked him, still holding back giggles.

"Huh?" Ash turned to look at his hut and noticed.... "Wah!! I forgot to make a door!!" Misty couldn't take it anymore and burst into laughter. "Aw, shut up." Ash said dejectedly. "I can take care of that problem easily. But right now.... we've gotta eat!" Mentioning food brought some happy spirits back in the boy, and he got out one of his cans of soup from his backpack.

"Ash, shouldn't we be saving that and having some of the fruit we got for now?" Misty asked him. Ash shook his head. 

"The fruit can wait, I wanna have some real food on our first day here." Misty rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say... Wait, don't we need a fire to cook that?"

"Way ahead of ya, Misty." Misty looked at Ash and saw that he had already made a pile of sticks and surrounded them with stones for a campfire. He was holding two sticks over the pile and vigorously rubbing them together.

"Ash, why don't you just use matches?" Misty asked him, wondering if there was any end to his stupidity. Ash put his hand behind his head in embarrassment.

"Well, uh... I kinda ran out a couple of days ago.... Brock had the spare matches..." Misty hung her head. 

"Do you know how hard it is to start a fire by rubbing sticks together?"

"No." He answered. "How hard?"

"Very hard!" Misty replied angrily.

"Fine then." Ash said calmly. "I've got a solution to that problem too." He reached for a poke ball. Misty gulped. 

"Ash, you don't mean..." Too late.

"I choose you, Charizard!" The large fire pokemon materialized with a roar. It looked down at Ash and snorted in his direction. Misty ran behind a tree. Ash didn't look too scared. He looked like he was ready to give his relationship with Charizard yet another shot. "Charizard buddy, we've got a little problem here. Me and Misty and the rest of the pokemon are all stuck here on this island." He gestured to their surroundings. "I know it'd be a lot to ask if I wanted you to get us off of here, but for now, I don't think it'd be too much trouble to light our campfire for us, would it?" Misty noticed that Ash was trying a different tactic with Charizard. He was talking to it calmly and reasonably. Not something she'd expect from him. Maybe it would work... Charizard simply snorted again and turned its head away. "Come on, Charizard. We really need your fire to light those logs!" Ash started pleading. Charizard still ignored. Ash started getting impatient. "Charizard, we need your fire! Come on Char-" Before he could finish, Ash was given some of Charizard's fire in the way he usually was given it, straight in the face. The angry dragon then continued to release its flame around their campsite, burning the tops of the trees, but thankfully not the huts. With a frustrated grunt, Ash held up Charizard's poke ball. "Charizard return!" The unruly flame pokemon was drawn back into its ball. Squirtle and Staryu immediately rushed over and used their water guns to put out the fire on the trees that Charizard had caused. Misty looked at Ash smugly.

"Great idea, genius." She spat. Ash grinned sheepishly and gestured to the now lit campfire.

"Well, I got the fire lit."

After dinner, the sun had set over the little Island. Misty had set up her sleeping bag inside her little shelter, and she still wondered how Ash planned to get into his. 

"So Ash," She started. "just how are you going to get in there anyway?" Ash smiled confidently.

"Easy." He turned to Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur, use your cut attack to make a door in that wall!" Bulbasaur faced the wall.

"Bulba!" It shouted as it unleashed its cut attack on the wall, forming a perfect sized door. Perfect that is, if you were a bulbasaur. It was only about two feet tall and two feet wide. Ash looked at the small door his pokemon had made. "Bulbasaur, that's not big enough for me to fit..." Bulbasaur just looked at Ash.

"Bulba. Bulbasaur." It answered. Ash looked surprised and jumped back a little.

"What did Bulbasaur say, Ash?" Misty inquired, not being able to understand the pokemon as well as Ash could.

"It said that it knows the door is too small, and that's the point." Ash and Misty looked over to Ash's hut and saw Bulbasaur walk in, followed by Squirtle, Psyduck, Staryu, Pikachu, and even Togepi. They covered up the entrance with a palm leaf. "Hey you guys, open up! That's my place!" Ash shouted angrily. Pikachu poked its little head out. "Pi pika." It stated. 

"Pokemon only? Hey, that's not fair!" Ash said, standing upright. He turned toward Misty. "Well what am I gonna do now?" He knew that the pokemon wouldn't come out at their own will, and he would never be such a jerk as to force them out. Misty knew that too.

"I don't know Ash." Was all she could think of at that moment. Before either of them could think any further, Togepi came out of the hut walked over until it was behind Ash, and used a large amount of strength to give him a strong push in Misty's direction. "Toge toge!" It chirped happily. Ash fell forward and stopped himself directly in front of Misty, putting them both at a very close proximity. Their faces, which were only centimeters apart, both instantly turned red and the two turned away from each other as quickly as possible. Misty looked at Togepi, still blushing. 

"Togepi, why did you do that?" She asked sternly.

"Toge, toge prrrrrri!!" It answered happily. Its response only made Misty blush more. She had understood its words: "Mommy and Daddy can stay together!"

"What did it say?" Ash asked, wondering why Misty's face had suddenly become redder.

"N-nothing." She responded nervously as Togepi scampered back inside the pokemon hut. Ash decided not to push her any further. He was still a little shaken up by what Togepi had just done, and his own reaction to it. He shrugged off the strange feeling in him and started setting up his sleeping bag outside. Misty did the same and set up her sleeping bag inside her hut. After a few minutes, Misty noticed that the wind was blowing and making it a little chilly outside. Worrying for Ash, she peeked outside at him. He looked very uncomfortable, tossing and turning, trying to prevent the part of his sleeping bag that was covering him from blowing off. Misty couldn't help but feel sorry for him, as she frequently did. _Poor guy, he really doesn't deserve this... maybe I could let him stay in here with me... just for tonight. It won't be so bad. I actually wouldn't mind having him in here. Just can't let him know that! Oh well, might as well give it a shot. This is a chance to be nice to him. _Misty got up and walked over to Ash, her heart aching for him and the discomfort he must have been feeling. She shook him lightly and gently said his name. Ash woke easily due to his uncomfortable position and looked at Misty.

"What is it Misty?" He asked her. Misty looked uncertain.

"Well.. um.... Ash, you don't look too happy out here, maybe you'd like to come... share my hut with me?" She was extremely nervous asking him this, and it was showing in her voice. Hopefully he wouldn't notice. Ash also felt uncertain about what to say.

"But Misty, you said before that.... you know... we shouldn't..." Misty cut him off, trying to sound more confident.

"I know, but it's more important to me that you're happy, Ash. It wouldn't be very nice of me to just leave you out here, would it?"

"Well..." Ash still didn't know what to say. He did want to be in a warm place, and despite his denying it, he would like it even better if he were with Misty. But he still didn't want her to give up anything just to accommodate him. "You don't have to, Misty..." He said shyly.

"I know... but I want to." She smiled at him, and Ash couldn't help but smile back. She took his hand and helped him up. "Come on." And he followed her into her hut. 

Once inside, Ash and Misty set their sleeping bags next to each other, but a few feet apart. After thanking Misty for her kindness one more time, Ash fell asleep. Misty felt really good to know that she had helped Ash feel happier. She smiled at him, then took the opportunity to simply stare at the boy she loved. She wished she could be close to him always. Maybe just for tonight.... Misty started slowly inching her sleeping bag closer to his, until she was only a few inches away from him. She had ignored that side of her that told her to accept Ash's earlier offer before, but now she was listening to it completely. Satisfied with her closeness to the trainer, she whispered a final goodnight in his ear and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Ash slowly started opening his eyes when the sun shone down on them through the roof. He yawned once, but before he could move, he felt something slightly weighing him down. It wasn't unpleasant, it actually felt quite comfortable. It felt like something light and warm resting on his chest and filling him with it's warmth. He hadn't fully woken up yet, and with the good feeling he had just then, he didn't feel like he wanted to. But then he felt something tickling his face, something that reminded him of when Pikachu slept near his face. He turned his head downward to see what it was. Once his vision had fully come into focus, he saw that it was... Misty! She was fast asleep, her head nestled comfortably on his chest, and her arm wrapped slightly around him. Ash was surprised, but didn't get up. She looked so happy, he didn't want to disturb her. _Oh great, now what am I gonna do?_

To be continued.

Well, what do ya think so far? Like it? Hate it? This chapter took me long enough, I just hope that I get encouragement to write more. Thanks for reading and I hope alla you peeps out there remember to R&R!

-Wild Growlithe- 


	2. A Storm of Feelings and Confusion

Body A/n: Well here's chapter two. My mind was totally blocked when I had to write some of this! I never knew that was so frustrating! Anyways, here's the chapter. Hope it pleases all of you readers! 

Chapter 2: A Storm of Feelings and Confusion 

Ash found himself feeling very awkward in his current position. He remembered that when he had fallen asleep, he and Misty had been a few feet apart from one another. But now, here he was, with the young girl sleeping on his chest. He wanted to yell out in surprise and wake her up immediately, but there was another, not-often-listened-to part of him that just wanted to lie there and enjoy the warm feeling she was giving him. Moving his eyes downward, he looked at her face. She had the peaceful look on her closed eyes that comes with sleep, but on her mouth there was a small but quite happy looking smile. Seeing her in such a pleasant state filled Ash with happiness... and he wasn't sure why. After thinking the situation over for a few minutes, Ash decided that he just couldn't leave her there forever. What'll she say when she wakes up? She'll be mad! ::gulp:: Maybe I should just gently move her... Slowly, Ash moved his hands up to Misty's back in an attempt to get her off. He felt his face heat up when his hands touched her. Very gently, he tried lifting Misty up. It was much harder than he thought it would be. Ash knew that if he made one wrong move, Misty would be awake and furious. He gulped again, and kept trying to move her off him. Before he could get very far, Ash started to feel Misty stir. He froze and looked in terror at her face, but saw that her eyes were still closed. Much to Ash's surprise, Misty let out a sigh and snuggled closer to him than she had been before, putting her forehead near his cheek. Now Ash was even more nervous, but at the same time, felt a great amount of comfort and pleasure in her actions. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he was loving the feeling of her closeness to him. Still, he had to get her off, before she woke up. But now it would be even harder to move her. Hands still on her back, Ash shook her lightly. No response. Ash decided to go for the next option. He carefully turned his head and whispered Misty's name into her ear. She responded to his voice by smiling even further, leaning her head upward, and planting a small kiss on his cheek. Ash's face was practically glowing bright red as a shocked and confused look appeared on it. Wha?! Huh?! What was that? Did she just... Arg! This is too weird! Why would Misty wanna kiss me? Hey, that sorta rhymes. I mean... she just... and I.... kinda liked that... ew! Kissing is gross. Yeah. She must be dreaming and doesn't know it's me. Yup. Kissing is nice. I mean gross! Gross! Bleach! Why won't she get off me? If I'm too rough, I'll wake her up and she'll kill me! And she looks so happy... and peaceful, and cute... I mean gross.... Maybe I'll let her stay there for a couple more minutes. 

So Ash continued to let the redhead use him for a pillow. He blushed further when he saw that his hands were still placed on her back. He was about to move them, but decided against it. Though it was awkward and "gross", Ash liked the feeling of having her in his arms. The strange feeling that had entered him when he and Misty had been shoved together by Togepi was now telling him what to do, and Ash decided to listen. He slowly and nervously moved his hands down to the area of her back that wasn't covered by her shirt. He loved the feeling of her soft warm skin under his fingers. Completely giving in to the feeling, Ash started moving his hands along her back, gently caressing her skin. She sighed and broadened the smile on her face. Ash smiled too, loving the feel of her warmth and softness. He leaned slightly so that he could nuzzle her hair, taking in her sweet scent... Wait a minute.... what am I DOING? Ash immediately stopped, inwardly smacking himself in the face to snap out of it. Not really thinking about her waking up anymore, Ash lifted her off of him as gently as he could and placed her back on her own sleeping bag. Misty started stirring again, this time her eyes opened. Ash decided to pretend that he was still asleep, and that the whole earlier incident had not occurred. She probably didn't even know about it, since she was sleeping. Eyes still closed, Ash listened to Misty awaken. 

Misty stretched and yawned. Hmm.... what a nice dream that was. Ash... wonder if he's awake. She looked in Ash's direction and saw that his eyes were still shut. Guess not. Misty noticed that Ash's breathing was rather fast, not the usual even breathing that a sleeping person would have. She wondered if he was alright and decided to try and wake him up. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Misty thought that she felt him shudder at her touch, but didn't think too much of it. She shook him lightly, calling his name in a soft voice. 

"Ash? Wake up." Ash decided that he'd better wake up or she might get impatient. He slowly opened his eyes, doing his best "I just woke up" impression. He tried to look normal, but couldn't hide the blush that still remained on his face or the nervous tone in his voice. 

"Morning Misty." He gave her a hopefully convincing smile. Misty didn't look convinced. 

"Ash, are you ok? Your face looks a little flushed, and your voice is kind of shaky." She asked him. 

"I'm fine." He answered, almost a little too quickly. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." Misty cocked an eyebrow. 

"You sure?" She persisted. 

"Positive." Ash confirmed. 

Misty decided not to pry any further. She just shrugged and walked out of the hut, leaving Ash by himself. Ash was totally confused by what had just happened. It seemed that she didn't have any knowledge of what she had done earlier, and that was a good thing, because he definitely didn't want to explain anything to her. Ash was still having trouble understanding everything that had happened himself. He had enjoyed a feeling that for a long time he thought he would hate, with someone he thought he could never feel that way about... or could he? Ash remembered times like the Summer's end festival at Maiden's Peak. She had looked very pretty then, and he had felt very attracted to her. He'd thought the same way when she had competed in the Princess festival, and performed in her sister's underwater play. But after that, things would always go back to normal and he would bury those strange feelings away. But now they had resurfaced, and were refusing to go away this time. Maybe it was because there was so little around to distract him, or they weren't traveling around, or maybe it was because they were alone together... he decided to ignore the feelings and try to return things to normal, as he always did. 

Ash emerged from the tent to find that Misty and the pokemon had already started eating the fruit they had gathered the previous day for breakfast. He joined in, gladly eating his fill. (which was more than all the others combined) After everyone had finished eating, they noticed that the food supply was dwindling, and decided to go find some more to last them through the rest of that day and the next. Ash thought that they should all go as a group, but Misty said that they'd be more efficient if they split up. Bulbasaur and Squirtle teamed up and headed off in one direction, while Ash and Misty headed in the other. Togepi had stayed up way past it's bedtime the previous night, and was currently taking a much needed nap. Pikachu stayed behind to baby-sit, assuring Pikapi and Pikachupi (that's Misty for all you who don't know) that they would both be fine. 

While hunting for something to eat, Ash found it hard to make conversation with Misty. He was still feeling strange about what had happened that morning. Without being fully aware of it, he kept turning his head in her direction, stealing glances while she wasn't looking, and admiring her. Misty was wondering why Ash was being so quiet. He usually was full of energy, and always had something to say. She tried thinking of something to say to him, but couldn't come up with a great topic to get him talking again. 

"It's hot, isn't it?" She finally managed to speak. 

"Yeah." Was all he replied. She decided to keep trying. 

"It's funny how it's so warm out now, but last night it was kind of chilly." She looked at him. "Right Ash?" 

"Right." Ash answered. "But somehow, we managed to keep warm." Misty looked confused. It sounded like he was hinting at something when he said that, but she had no idea what. She shrugged it off and turned her gaze back to the path ahead. Ash took the opportunity to take another glance at her, but didn't notice the tree directly in his path. 

"OW!" He cried as he walked directly into it. Misty knelt down in front of him. 

"Ash, are you ok?" She asked. He looked at her caring face and again felt that feeling sneaking up on him... 

"Yeah I'm fine." He said, averting his gaze from her and fixing it on the top of the offending tree. His eyes widened as he made a discovery. "Hey!" He said excitedly. "Look up at the top of the tree, Misty! Coconuts!" Misty looked up to the spot where Ash was pointing. 

"Oh yeah, I see them!" She exclaimed. 

"This is great." Ash said. "They can give us somethin' to eat and drink." He suddenly looked uncertain. "Um, it does look like they'll be hard to get down, though." 

"Don't worry about it, Ash." Misty reassured him. "I'm pretty good at climbing trees. I had a lot of experience when I was younger." (I don't want to go into one of those "misty" flashbacks, so just use your imagination, peeps.) She looked up at the tree. "It is kinda tall though..." Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands on her waist. She immediately became beet red. 

"I'll give ya a boost, Misty." Ash said, a little bit of red on his face too. He carefully lifted her up as high as he could so she could grab onto the tree and keep climbing. 

"O-okay." She said nervously, trying desperately to hide her blush. Misty was too busy covering up her own blush to notice that Ash was blushing too. She slowly but steadily started climbing the tree, not stopping until she reached the top. Once there, she shouted down to Ash. "Okay Ash, I'm going to drop them down to you! Be ready!" 

"Right Misty!" He shouted back to her. She picked as many as she could, and dropped them all as easily as she could so Ash could catch them. As expected, a few hit him on the head, but he was okay. Misty said it was his thick skull protecting him. Ash glared at her and she giggled. After they had enough, Misty carefully climbed down the tree, and Ash lifted her back down to the ground. This time both of them were in better control of their blushing. They walked back, each with and armful of coconuts. Bulbasaur and Squirtle joined them at their site, and everyone sat down to eat again. 

"Grr... I can't get this thing open!" Ash said in frustration as he tried to open a coconut. Misty laughed again. 

"Maybe you should try using your head." She smirked. 

"Hey! Stop makin' fun of my head!" Ash defended. 

"Oh, it's not so bad to have a hard head, Ash. It protects you from falling objects, helps if you fall on it... The only bad thing is that it slows down your thought process." She said with another giggle. 

"Oh yeah? I'll make you regret that!" He said, and chucked a peice of one of the bananas his pokemon had brought at her. 

"Hey!" She shouted, and retaliated with her own piece of food. In a few minutes they were both having a food fight, mostly throwing banana peels at one another, and laughing the whole time. After the battle, there were pieces of banana and peel all over the camp, and Ash and Misty were out of breath, but laughing hard. "You know Ash," Misty said with a laugh. "I never thought that you would actually enjoy wasting food." 

"It was fun, Misty! That makes it worth it to me!" He laughed back. Misty smiled at his carefree nature and gave him a playful shove on his shoulder. 

"It was fun, especially since I totally creamed you!" She said, declaring herself the winner. 

"What? I had you totally beaten!" Ash protested. Misty was about to argue further when she noticed all of the pokemon staring at them, covered in the food they'd been throwing, and looking very annoyed. She and Ash both chuckled. 

"Oops." Misty said. 

"Heh heh... Sorry." Ash apologized. The pokemon just grumbled. 

A little while later, the pokemon had all been washed off by either Squirtle or Staryu. Ash had washed his jacket and was hanging it to dry, leaving him wearing his black shirt. Misty had gone off on her own to wash off her shirt and herself, taking only Psyduck to accompany her. She made Ash stay behind for obvious reasons. For a minute Ash had considered following her, but immediately shook that thought from his head, shocked that it had even come to him. 

Alone on the beach, Misty was busy bathing herself and washing off her shirt. Psyduck was trying to learn how to swim, but it was too afraid to go past the shallow water. Eventually it gave up and decided to wander along the shore. "Don't go too far, Psyduck!" Misty called out to her pokemon. It answered her by saying "Psy yi!". Misty couldn't understand what it said, but assumed that it had heard her. Once she had finished, Misty squeezed the excess water out of her clean shirt and put on her extra one. Getting a forboding feeling, Misty looked up to the sky. Dark clouds were starting to form, and she knew that a storm would soon start. It was pretty common for places with humid climates like this one. She gathered her belongings and headed back to where Ash and the others were, forgetting about Psyduck, who had wandered off.... 

Back at camp, Ash had taken the rest of his free time to train his pokemon. It wasn't very tough training, just practicing aim and attack power. All of Ash's pokemon were noticing that for once, his mind wasn't completely on his training. He seemed to be thinking of something else, and wasn't giving his full attention to them. At one point, all three of them just stopped and looked at him. He didn't even notice. Squirtle decided to take matters into his own hands and sprayed Ash in the face with a water gun. "WAH!" Ash yelled out in surprise. He looked at his pokemon, who were all standing there, giving him a "look". "Hehe, sorry guys. Guess I wasn't payin' attention. Let's get back to practicing your attacks, ok?" 

"Pika." 

"Bulba." 

"Squirtle squirt." 

For a few minutes, Ash was back in the action, backing them up, shouting commands and tips. But after a while, his mind started to wander again. The pokemon all stopped and stared at him again, getting kind of annoyed. 

"Hey Ash, I'm back. How's the training going?" At the sound of Misty's voice, Ash immediately perked up, an excited smile on his face. Squirtle rolled his eyes. 

"Hi Misty! Did you have a good... Um... Bath?" He asked happily. 

"Yeah," She said. "But I had to head back when I saw those clouds up there." She pointed to the sky. "I think there's gonna be a storm." Ash looked up at the clouds she was talking about. He hadn't even noticed that they were there, his mind was so focused on thinking about her and his new feelings toward her. 

"We'd better get inside." He said. Ash turned to his pokemon. You guys better get inside your hut... That is, if you'll let me in yours again Misty?" He had said it in such a cute, hopeful voice that there was no way Misty could refuse. She smiled at him. 

"Sure Ash." 

Once the two of them were inside, it started to rain. Ash and Misty had piled extra leaves on both huts to further prevent the rain from getting in. They were both sitting inside, not really speaking, when Misty suddenly gasped. 

"What's wrong Misty?" Ash asked with concern. 

"Psyduck!" She cried. "I completely forgot about Psyduck! He must have wandered off while I was at the beach... And now he's out there, all alone in that storm!" Misty could feel panick start to creep up on her. She pushed it away. Now was the time to be strong. She got up from where she was sitting and headed to the door of the hut. 

"Misty, what are ya doing? It's dangerous out there!" Ash shouted at her. Misty was surprised by the concern he showed, but looked at him with a determined face. It was a face similar to one that Ash often used. 

"I can't leave Psyduck out there alone Ash. I have to go out there and find it. Please understand!" Ash looked doubtful at first, but then nodded his head in agreement. He knew exactly how she felt, and that he would do the same thing in her situation. 

"Okay. But I'm going with you!" Now Misty looked uncertain. 

"Ash, Psyduck is my pokemon. I don't want you going out there and risking anything because of me." Ash stood. 

"You're my friend Misty. You...mean a lot to me. What kind of person would I be if I just let you go out there on your own? If something happened to you while I was sitting in here safe I'd never forgive myself." Ash exhaled. That took a lot out of him. Misty blushed after hearing his words. 

"Ash, you don't have to..." 

"I know. But I want to." 

And the two of them ran off into the storm to search for the lost pokemon. 

The rain poured down on both trainers as they continued looking for Psyduck The storm was raging, and showing no mercy to either of them. A flash of lightning was followed by a horrible crack of thunder, terrifying Ash and Misty, but neither would back down. They continued through the pouring rain, calling out Psyduck's name until their voices were sore. The winds howled at a powerful volume, drowning out most of their cries. It became darker, and soon Ash and Misty were having trouble seeing one another. Ash kept going while Misty was starting to get worn out. For some reason he wanted so badly to make her happy. Suddenly, through all the noise caused by the storm, Ash thought he heard something. He smiled. This could be it! 

"Misty!" He called to her. "I think I hear something! I'm gonna check it out!" 

"Ash, wait! Don't go without me! You could get lost!" She called back. Too late. Ash had already run ahead, completely out of sight and earshot. "Aaaash!" Misty cried desperately. No answer. She stopped running and crouched down, breathing heavily and shivering. He was lost. 

To be continued. 

I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and write out their thoughts again. I really don't want to repeat myself. Hope they were okay. Anyways, it took me a long time to come up with what was going to happen in this chapter, and that's why it took a couple of days. I had no idea that everyone would like this so much. Thanks for all the compliments I got. Chapter three will be done soon, and hopefully that will be the last. Bye for now! 


	3. The Storm Clears

A/N: _Well!_ Since someone called me an -ANIMAL- for rating this story G, I changed it to PG. Sorry if I offended you _sir,_ but if you yell at me OR call me an animal again I'll offend you some more!! ::deep calming breaths:: Well I finished the last chapter after having a lot of trouble posting the second. I didn't even think it worked until I checked today! I hope you're all happy with the way it turns out. I didn't want this one to be so popular! over 50 reviews for 2 chapters! @_@ Oh well, on with the fic!

Chapter 3: The Storm Clears

Ash forced his way through the pouring rain and powerful winds, moving steadily toward where he thought he'd heard the noise. He thought he'd heard Misty call his name, but didn't want to turn around or he'd lose sight of the spot he was focused on. _Nothin's gonna stop me from finding Psyduck! I've gotta get him back for her! _After running for a while, Ash noticed that he'd wandered into a very dark area. It was hard for him to see his surroundings. Still, he was sure this was where he had heard that noise coming from. He started walking a little slower. The thickness of the trees in the area had stopped some of the harshness of the weather. He strained his eyes to view the area around him, trying to spot Psyduck somewhere in the darkness. Suddenly, he heard another noise. Now that he was closer, Ash could tell that the noise definitely wasn't caused by Psyduck. It was more of a hissing sound. And it sounded like it was getting closer... Ash whipped around, looking for whatever it was that was creating the frightening sound. His heart started to beat rapidly, his eyes darted in all directions. Finally, his eye caught something bright. But it wasn't what he was hoping to see. A pair of very unfriendly looking, slanted, glowing red eyes were staring right at him. Ash froze in fear. The eyes started moving closer. They kept advancing until they were close enough for Ash to see their owner. "Chaaaaaaah!" It hissed menacingly. Ash gulped. It was a wild Arbok. Not an arbok like the one Jessie owned, this one had a malicious look to it, its fangs gleamed dangerously as it released another terrifying hiss. Ash was even more frightened when he remembered that he'd left all of his pokemon back at the campsite. He quickly thought of using Charizard, but knew that calling a fire pokemon out in the rain was useless. Ash looked at the arbok and knew what it's intentions were. He slowly started to back up. Right now that was the only thing he could do....

Meanwhile, back at camp... 

(I'll put pokemon translations on for now)

The pokemon were all sitting inside their hut, safe from the rain, but extremely worried. Squirtle had spotted Ash and Misty run off into the jungle in search of Psyduck. Pikachu's first instinct had been to go after them, but it knew that it would be too difficult to find Pikapi's scent in the rain. Pikachu could wind up getting lost too, and that would only make things worse. Besides, Pipipi(Togepi) needed Pikachu too. The other pokemon were okay at taking care of Pipipi, but none of them were as important to the little egg as Uncle Pika.(or aunt) So all Pikachu could do was sit in the hut and wait, praying for Pikapi and Pikachupi to come back safely.

"They've been gone a long time." Said Bulbasaur in his usual serious voice. "I hope they're ok."

"Yeah," Squirtle agreed with his friend. "And to think it's all 'cause of that idiot Psyduck. Sometimes I think we'd all be better off without him." He sneered.

"You shouldn't say that about any fellow pokemon!" Pikachu scolded. "Psyduck's saved us plenty of times. I know he's got his faults, but he's proved himself worthy to me!"

"Well, if they wind up dead tomorrow, it'll be all that moron's fault. Then what'll ya think about him?" Squirtle challenged. Togepi looked scared.

"Dead? Doesn't that mean that you sleep and never wake up?" It sniffled. "Is that going to happen to Mommy and Daddy?" Tears were forming in the baby's little eyes, and Pikachu went to comfort it.

"No, they'll be fine Pipipi, don't worry. I know that when the rain stops, your mommy and daddy are going to come back with Psyduck and tell you that everything's okay." Pikachu told Togepi reassuringly, wishing that it could believe its own words. Before any of the pokemon could say anything else, someone entered through their door.

"Hi guys." It was Psyduck. 

"PSYDUCK?!?" All of the pokemon cried out at once in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Pikachu demanded.

"It was raining. So I came in." Psyduck stated simply. All of them stared at him, sweatdrops forming on their heads.

"You mean you weren't lost?" Bulbasaur asked. Psyduck looked at him blankly.

"Lost? I knew where I was, so I wasn't lost. I took a walk and came back when I noticed it was raining." He answered. Squirtle slapped his forehead.

"Great." He mumbled. Pikachu looked worried.

"So now you're safe in here, but Pikapi and Pikachupi are still out there....." It looked outside at the raging storm, where its two dearest humans were lost.

After catching her breath, Misty headed off in the direction Ash had gone at full speed. There was no way she was going to lose him and Psyduck. _This is great. _ She thought._ Who knows what could happen to him when he's out there on his own? I'll bet that idiot forgot to bring any of his pokemon to help him just in case... good thing I brought Staryu. _Misty thought of the danger Ash could be in and quickened her pace. While moving, she thought she heard his voice, like he was calling out. It had come from a dark area in the jungle. _Ash is in trouble..._Without thinking twice, she raced off to where the voice came from.

Ash found himself backed up against a rock with nowhere to run. He knew that if he tried anything suddenly, the arbok would strike, and it would be all over. The giant snake advanced on him further until it was only a foot from his face. It flicked its forked tongue at him, hissing viciously. Ash gulped. He knew that there was little he could do. In a last attempt, he put up his fists in a fighting stance, refusing to go down without a fight. The arbok simply flashed a sinister smile at him, and reared up. It opened its mouth, revealing all of its dangerous fangs. Ash knew that it was getting ready to strike. He braced himself for the oncoming attack. 

To his surprise, it never came. A powerful blast of water had knocked the serpent off of its coils and sent it careening into a tree. Ash looked in the direction of his savior, and saw Misty standing there, Staryu in front of her, ready to battle. She smiled at him confidently and pointed her finger at the arbok.

"Staryu, swift attack!" She commanded. "Hiya!" Staryu leapt up into the air and fired a barrage of little glowing stars at the snake. It cried in pain, then dove at Staryu. "Agility!" Staryu obeyed and easily dodged the arboks attacks. "Great Staryu. Hit it with a double edge!" Staryu started spinning rapidly and flew at its opponent, hitting it hard. Once the arbok was on the ground in pain, Misty saw her opportunity. "Okay Staryu, finish it off with your best water gun attack!" Staryu fired another powerful blast of water from its tip. It hit the arbok full force, sending it flying far away from the two trainers. Once sure that the threat was gone, Misty recalled Staryu and gave her full attention to Ash. "Are you ok Ash?" She tried hard not to show the great worry that had filled her only a few moments ago.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Ash answered shakily. He finally allowed himself to breathe again and put his hand over his chest in a small attempt to calm his heartbeat. Misty saw his shaken condition and thought about what could've happened to him. The thought alone frightened her greatly.

"Ash, why did you run off like that?! Do you know what could've happened to you? You could've been hurt, or you could've been... been...." She was trying desperately to hold back tears. They were forcing their way into her eyes and starting to fall. Misty hoped that the raindrops on her face would disguise the tears. She looked down, trying to hide her face and erase the thoughts of what could've happened to Ash. Ash saw how upset she was, and this time, noticed that she was trying to hide it.

"I'm sorry Misty." He said with all the sincerity he could. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just-"

"I'm not upset!" Misty cut him off. "I'm fine." Ash was about to respond to her when another bolt of lightning startled both of them, leaving them frightened. "Maybe we should head back... we'll have to look for Psyduck when the storm passes." Misty suggested. She hated to say that, but knew that if they continued looking, something even worse could happen to either one of them.

"Good idea." Ash agreed. He started walking, but stopped and turned to face her. "Um.... do you know which way camp is?" Misty sighed.

"No. I don't." She said dejectedly. Great. Now they were lost out here. "Well, we can't stay out here, that's for sure."

"Right." Ash said. "Let's find a spot that's a little dryer." They weren't looking for very long before Ash found a tree with a large hollow area in its base. There was enough room for both of them, and it was perfectly dry inside.

Once they had both gotten inside the hollow, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out his mini flashlight. It's light was too weak to be of any use outside, but it was enough to slightly light the small area they were staying in. "We can stay here until the storm passes, and then keep looking for Psyduck." He said to Misty. He noticed that she still looked worried about her pokemon. "Don't worry about it Misty, I'm sure he's fine." Misty looked up at Ash, but didn't say anything. "You know Psyduck is full of surprises. We'll find him and he'll be okay." Misty felt very comforted by Ash's words. She gave him a small smile.

"You're right Ash. I have a feeling that he'll be alright too." She then turned her gaze to the ground. Ash looked outside at the pouring rain and wondered when it would finally stop. He took off his cap. It was totally soaked. He held the hat out at arm length and squeezed the water out of it, then did the same with his jacket. After getting it mostly dry, Ash looked at his jacket sadly. _To think I just cleaned it... _He thought, and put it back on. He placed his cap next to him. A strong gust of wind blew outside, not failing to chill inside the hollow as well. Ash heard a noise coming from where Misty was sitting. He looked over at her and noticed that she was shivering. Ash looked at Misty with pity. He remembered the kindness she had showed him when she allowed him to stay in her hut. It was only right to repay her. And he couldn't just leave her there, shivering from the cold.

Misty was blaming herself for this situation entirely. If she had just remembered to bring Psyduck back with her, none of this would have happened. Now they were stuck out here, Ash had nearly been killed, and Psyduck was still lost. A wind blew through, chilling her. She shivered, but tried to bear through it, believing she deserved it. Only a few seconds later, she felt something soft and warm (but slightly moist) drape over her shoulders. She turned and saw that Ash had placed his jacket over her shoulders, and was now looking at her, looking nervous and embarrassed. 

"Um... uh, you looked kinda cold, so.... you know.." Ash was stuttering, trying to come up with a good excuse for his gentleman-like actions. Unfortunately he couldn't think of any. Misty smiled a little.

"Thanks Ash, but you don't have to.."

"Aw, just wear it. I'm tryin' to do somethin' nice here, okay?" Misty blinked at him a couple of times, but then looked back at the ground again. She thought for a couple of seconds, then looked back up at him.

"Look Ash, I don't want you to get too cold either. Then you'd probably get sick or something, and that would be another thing I'd have to deal with. Why don't you... sit closer to me... so we can keep a little warmer?" Misty shut her eyes. That wasn't easy to say. Ash stared at her for a little. He could tell that she had had difficulty saying that to him. He also believed that the excuse she had used wasn't entirely sincere, and that she wanted him to stay warm because she cared.... maybe.

"Yeah okay, that sounds like a good idea." He said finally. Misty opened her eyes. He had agreed. She just hoped that he believed her dumb excuse for caring, just like he always did. Ash moved closer to Misty, so that they were both leaning on one another. Both had to admit to themselves, that this was much more comfortable than sitting apart.

Ash looked over at Misty. She was still staring at the ground, looking upset and a little angry. She also looked kind of uncertain and scared. That was how he felt. It was strange how being close to Misty could make him feel so comfortable and so uncomfortable at the same time. His mind drifted back to when he had woken up and found her resting on him. He made a little anime sigh. That feeling was back. It was telling him to talk to her, comfort her and make her smile, put his arms around her and tell her everything would be okay, and he'd stay by her no matter what. Ash wasn't willing to do all of those things, but he figured he should at least talk to her.

"Hey Misty, why do ya still look kinda sad? I told you that we'll find Psyduck. Don't worry." He attempted to be helpful.

Misty just looked at him. She was wondering why he was being so kind to her. It was almost as if he cared or something. It was really the earlier situation and what could have happened to Ash that was weighing on her mind most heavily. He could have died, the person who she cared for most could have been lost forever, and it was her fault that he was in that danger in the first place. "Thanks again Ash." She said to him softly. "I know that Psyduck will be alright, and that's really not what's bothering me. It's just..." She couldn't tell him what was really bothering her. Not now. Maybe not ever.

"What?" Ash asked, waiting for her to finish.

"Never mind." She finished. But this time Ash wanted to know what was on her mind. He wanted to know so that he could make it go away, and she would be happy again. 

"Misty, please tell me. What's wrong?" He asked again.

"Just forget it Ash, it's not important." She said a little more firmly this time.

"Yes it is!" He stated. It was time to be honest with her. At least as honest as he would allow himself to be. "I.... don't want you to be sad, Misty. You're my friend, and seeing you like this... makes me sad too. And I want to know what's bothering you.... maybe I can help... please tell me." Misty was feeling guilty now, even more than before. He was being so honest with her, showing such care. It was something she would never have expected from him. She should at least be honest with him too. She took a deep breath.

"It's just that.... out there, in the storm... when I lost you I got so scared." She was talking very quietly, and Ash was leaning in towards her slightly to listen better. "I heard you cry out, and ran to where you were as fast as I could. When I saw that giant arbok ready to... attack you, I just acted on my instincts and called Staryu. But when it was over... when it was over, and I saw how frightened you were, I realized what could've happened to you.... and it scared me even more, to know... that it would've been... my fault...." Tears were forming in her eyes again, and she fought them with all her might, cursing them inside her head. Ash watched her fight the tears, and almost felt like crying himself. She cared about him. Much more than he ever imagined she would.

"Hey Misty, it's alright." He said softly. "If anything... had happened, it wouldn't have been your fault. I ran off on my own. It was my decision. Please don't blame yourself for anything." He smiled. "Besides, everything's fine. I'm here now, aren't I? And you were the one that saved me." Misty looked up at him, as a single tear escaped her eye. She was about to wipe it away, when Ash carefully brushed it away for her. "Please don't cry." He said gently. He looked into her eyes, and for the first time, saw how beautiful they were. He felt like he could get lost in them, just stare at them for hours. But he wasn't able to as Misty leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. It was a bold move for her and she knew it, but she felt like it was right. Ash looked down at her and smiled.

"Thank you." Was all she said just then. Ash saw that she was smiling in the same way she had when she had been resting on him earlier. He started thinking, about how she had somehow wound up in that position with him, and looked very comfortable. He hadn't minded it either, and he didn't really mind it now. He also began thinking of when he had started hugging her while she was sleeping, and wondered what had come over him. Was it happening again? His mind was starting to piece things together(as hard to believe as that seems). How happy she had looked both then and now. The way she had cuddled up to him, and kissed his cheek. How he had responded to all of that. The way they had always been there for one another, though too proud to admit that they wanted to stay together. She had stayed with him when Brock had left. He would always worry when she was in danger, even if he never let her know. He had wanted so desperately to make her happy lately. It hurt him to see her upset. His mind drifted back to what Team Rocket had said to them, just before the blimp crashed and left them stranded here.....

__

"Jessie, I think we may have caught a pair of very romantic creatures in our net."

"You mean... Aw..."

"De're lovboids!"

Ash and Misty looked at each other, blushed and turned away.

"Aw, you guys are crazy!"

"Crazy is right, never in a million years!"

Team Rocket was howling with laughter.

"But you're blushing!"

"Kissy kissy!"

"It's not true!!"

Ash recalled his thoughts during that. The thought of him having feelings for Misty was ridiculous. But why _did _he blush? Why did she blush? Could they have been right? Could he really........

"What are you thinking about Ash?" Misty interrupted his thoughts before he could continue. She wondered why he looked like he was thinking so hard. Ash just looked at her uncertainly. Maybe he should ask her, and see what she thought about what they had said...

"Well, do you remember what Team Rocket said about us? On the blimp, I mean. You know, about you and me..."

"Being together?" She finished for him.

"Yeah." He faked a laugh. "Crazy, huh?" She laughed too.

"Yeah, crazy. I mean, us? What would make them think that?" She said. They both laughed lightly for a little.

"Right. Well...." Ash trailed off. "We were alone together, and it seemed like we'd ditched Brock or somethin'... maybe that's what made them think that." Misty nodded.

"Or maybe it's the way we always fight." She added. "Lots of people have told us that when you fight with someone a lot, you really care for them."

"Yeah, that could be it. Or maybe it's just cause we've got a lot in common. We both like pokemon, and we both hate to lose." He said with a slight laugh.

"Or maybe it's the way we're always supporting each other, like how I always cheer for you during your matches, even though I act like I don't care..." Misty said.

"Or it could be because we're really good friends... and we mean a lot to each other..." They were looking directly at each other now. They didn't notice it, but their faces were very close.

"It could be because I look at you sometimes, when I know you won't notice...." Misty said, sounding more serious.

"Or because I do the same thing sometimes..." Ash said. They were moving closer.

"Or maybe it's the way I admire you for the wonderful person you are..." Misty said with great sincerity.

"Or the way I admire you for the amazing girl you really are under that tough shell...." Ash spoke with equal sincerity in his voice.

"Or it could be that I really do care for you..." She spoke barely above a whisper.

"Or that I care for you too...." He whispered back. They froze for a moment, not seeing, hearing, or feeling anything but each other. "You know," Ash said. "Maybe it wasn't such a crazy idea after all...."

"Maybe not..." She said. And with that, she moved past the little amount of space that was separating them, and met his lips with her own. She was a little uncertain as to whether she should have done that or not, but soon she felt Ash returning her kiss, even though he was a little surprised himself.

Ash was overwhelmed by the wonderful feeling that was coursing through him. He could hardly move, but gladly returned Misty's gesture when she kissed him. He regained his senses a little, and folded his arms around her, holding her tight.

Misty responded to Ash's action by putting her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their kiss became more passionate, and they managed to hold it for quite a while. Misty regretted having to separate from him. After they parted, they were still a little overwhelmed by their sudden display of emotion and affection. Misty seemed almost unable to believe that that had just happened. Ash just sat there with a goofy smile across his face.

"You know," He said. "Maybe kissing isn't so gross after all..."

"Gross?" Misty asked. "What do you mean gross?"

"Uh, nothing!" Ash quickly answered, not wanting to go into that. "So... I guess this means that Team Rocket was right after all." He said, red as a magikarp. Misty nodded.

"Yeah, they were right Ash. For the longest time I've had feelings for you. I just.... didn't feel ready to tell you... I never thought that you'd seriously consider a relationship with anyone until you were eighteen or something."

"Hey!" Ash defended. "I don't always think of pokemon! I think about other stuff!"

"Yeah?" She questioned. "Like when?"

"Um.... uh.... lots of times!" Was the best he could come up with. "Actually, I'd been thinking a lot about you ever since we came here!" Misty looked surprised.

"Really?" Ash looked embarrassed and nodded. She smiled warmly at him and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Well I want you to know now Ash, that I always think about you. You mean everything to me... and I love you." She said with as much gentleness in her voice as there was in her touch. Ash turned red again.

"Thanks Misty." He answered. "I... may not have realized it until just a few minutes ago, but I... love you too." They smiled lovingly at each other and Ash spoke again. "I also want you to know that there's no one else I'd rather be stranded on an island with... especially not now." Misty just smiled again and pulled him into another kiss, as the rain poured and the winds howled outside.

The next morning, the storm had finally cleared, and the pokemon could finally come out of their shelter. Pikachu was about to lead all of them off on a search for Pikapi and Pikachupi. The group had reached the edge of the jungle when they saw two figures walking toward them. Pikachu immediately recognized the two trainers, and also noticed that they were holding hands. It put that thought aside and bounded toward them, overjoyed that they had made it safely through the storm.

"Pikapi! Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried happily as it dove into Ash's arms.

"Haha! Pikachu!" Ash cheered as he gave his pokemon a hug. 

"Bulbasaur!"

"Squirtle squirt!"

"Toke brrrrri!" All of the other pokemon ran to their respective trainers. Ash greeted Bulbasaur and Squirtle with a hug and a pat on the head. Misty scooped up Togepi and hugged her little baby as it clung to its mommy, never wanting her to get lost again. During the happy reunion, one yellow pokemon slowly made its way to its trainer, bumping into her leg.

"Psy..." It mumbled, rubbing its head. Misty gasped.

"PSYDUCK?!" She immediately bended down and hugged the duck, glad he was safe. "Oh Psyduck, I was so worried about you! I'm so glad you're okay!" Misty suddenly stopped hugging Psyduck and bonked him on the head. "You idiot! I thought you were lost and you were here at camp the whole time!! I just don't believe you Psyduck, you're such a pain!!!" She yelled angrily.

"Aw, go easy on him Misty." Ash interjected. "If it weren't for Psyduck, we never would've gotten stuck out there, and that means that we never would've told each other..." Misty calmed a little.

"I guess you're right." She sighed. Pikachu gave them a sly look.

"Pika, pikachu?" It asked. Ash looked nervous.

"Heh heh.... we didn't do anything Pikachu... I don't know why you're so suspicious..." Ash flashed a very non-convincing smile. Pikachu just looked at him. It smiled.

"Pikapi chu Pikachupi, pi pikachu!" It said. Ash blushed.

"What did Pikachu say Ash?" Misty asked. Ash put his hand behind his head nervously and laughed. 

"Uh.... it said.. nothing!" He said.

"Oh, don't try that with me, Ash Ketchum! You tell me what Pikachu said right now!" Ash started to run. 

"Nothing!" Misty chased after him, mallet in hand.

"I'll just have to make you tell me then!" She shouted. 

Before Ash could get smashed by her mallet, they thought they heard something coming from the shore.

"Misty, did you hear that?" The redhead stopped chasing him and turned her head in the direction of the sound. 

"Yeah, I did. Maybe we should check it out." She said.

"Let's go!" Ash shouted as he bolted toward the shore. Misty followed.

When they reached the shore, Ash and Misty shouted out with glee as they saw a motorboat headed their way. On board was Officer Jenny, and leading the motorboat to the island was Goldeen. The boat finally reached the shore and the two teens ran over to it, accompanied by all of their pokemon. Misty happily greeted Goldeen, hugging the pokemon and thanking it over and over again.

"Are you kids okay?" Jenny asked the two.

"We're alright, Officer Jenny." Ash answered. "We're just glad that someone finally found us!" Ash and Misty hugged happily. They were saved.

After explaining everything that had happened (well, almost everything) to Jenny, the two trainers gathered their pokemon and their belongings and got on the boat. They sat together in the back while Jenny drove. While waiting to arrive, Misty snuggled comfortably up to Ash and kissed him on the cheek. 

"You know," She whispered to him. "It really is a good thing that we were stranded on that island together, isn't it?" Ash smiled again and nodded.

"It sure is. Right now I can't wait to see the look on our friends' faces when they see us together." Misty rolled her eyes.

"Can't we just stay like this, and not have to show it off? I don't want a lot of attention..."

"Neither do I." Ash agreed. "Guess we'll just let them find out for themselves."

"Where are we headed right now anyway, Ash?" Misty asked.

"To one of the Orange Islands. Jenny told me there was a league there, and I've gotta enter it!" Ash exclaimed, shooting a fist in the air.

"But Ash, we were supposed to give that GS ball to Professor Oak, remember?"

"I know, but I'll get around to that later." Ash replied. "Besides, wouldn't you love to go to some of the beaches around there? I'll take you wherever you want..." He kissed her on the lips. Misty smiled dreamily.

"Okay....."

Not soon after they had reached the next island, Ash and Misty made it to the pokemon center, where they found an abused Lapras that had been saved by a young artist named Tracey.....

They continued from there, happy with their upcoming adventure and their newfound love.

The end.

Finished!! ::throws confetti in the air and does a dance:: Finally! I hope the ending or the "confession scene" wasn't too mushy for you peeps. I did my best to be original. It took me a very long time to finish this, so I hope you all like it. I'm running out of ideas again now.... @_@. I did promise someone that I'd bash brock again, just gotta find a creative way to do that! Well I'm glad it's finally done, and I'm sure alla you peeps are too. I'll be seein' ya all later!


End file.
